Improving ultrasound imaging with integrated electronics

This paper presents an integrated electronic preamplifier design based on discrete components and evaluates its impact on image performances. The electronic, located close to the transducer, incorporates all useful functions to ensure compatible direct connection with most ultrasound scanners available on the market today. People who has worked on this subject know that numerous challenges and problems have to be overcome: high voltage bypass, preamplifier protection cells, miniaturization, power dissipation, electronic stability and many other constraints. We will discuss different unavoidable tradeoffs, starting with electrical performances and then with practical aspects. Our electronic solution has been evaluated with different probe configurations, namely a 5 MHz Phased Array and a 9.5 MHz Linear Array probe. Images have been acquired and analysis of signal to noise ratio (SNR) performed to quantify the gain in image quality.